Charlotte Hornets fall to Philadelphia 76ers in overtime nail-biter

With the loss, the Hornets miss their chance to go .500 on the season.

Nov 4, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Eastern Conference Standings: 6th with a record of 4-6

Summary

The Charlotte Hornets' (4-6) lost to the Philadelphia 76ers (2-7) on Sunday night (Nov. 10) after a low-scoring first half saw the Hornets keeping pace with Philly before it turned into an all-out nail-biting overtime game. Charlotte had slight lead with a few minutes left in regulation, but the 76ers returned fire in the extra period, and in the end won the game 107-105 over Charlotte.

With just eight seconds left, the score was tied 97-97 after Charlotte's LaMello Ball made a three-pointer just in the knick of time. At the end of the overtime, the Hornets successfully challenged a foul call on Melo and regained possession with a jump ball, but a game-winner was not to be. Unfortunately, this loss means that Charlotte gave up the chance to have a .500 record for the first time since 2022.

Things started well enough. Fully proving how he averages around 30 points each game, Ball came out of the gate strong, scoring Charlotte's first 10 points on seven shots, making it 10-5 Hornets early on. Tre Mann came off the bench to make a monster 23-foot three-pointer. The Hornets led by seven at one point, though it was a remarkably low-scoring first quarter, ending at 16-15 Sixers.

Still, the Hornets and Sixers continued duking it out, tied at 30 midway through the second quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr., the former Hornet now starting for the 76ers, had a last-minute breakaway dunk to bring the score to 46-45 Sixers at halftime. But from there, the Sixers began pulling away and ended the third quarter with a 76-66 lead. With one quarter left, it was crunch time for Buzz City.

But though the Hornets were down by 16 with ten minutes left in the fourth, they still were able to even the score, even going into overtime. Still, any thoughts ahead of time that Charlotte might have an easy win — seeing as how the Sixers were without Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on Sunday night — were misguided. And with that, the Hornets' chance at shoring up their record to 5-5 was dashed.

Best of the Night

Melo's continued effectiveness

Ball continues to be the main weapon out on the court for Charlotte, and he proved that tonight. The productive point guard's playmaking skills, court vision and ability to generate scoring opportunities are all there, even now in the fifth year in the league for the 2020 NBA Draft third overall pick. If Melo can stay out of foul trouble, and sidestep further injury woes, things are looking good for the player. Who knows where Charlotte could go from here?

Worst of the Night

Fouls and turnovers

Unfortunately, fouls and turnovers remain a sticking point for the Hornets. After all, just moments into the second quarter, Charlotte already had 11 turnovers to Philadelphia's six. Not to mention, foul trouble seemed to come calling early for several Hornets — Melo and Brandon Miller started racking up personal fouls before halftime, and Taj Gibson had four PFs with eight minutes left in the second, leaving little wiggle room for replacements. Discipline should be a key takeaway.

Highlight of the Night

Seth Curry's breezy three

Shades of older brother Stephen Curry streamed through Seth Curry's calm and collected three-pointer that arrived just before halftime — a clear highlight for Seth, the Hornet who's kept it all in the family by taking after his father, Dell Curry, famed Charlotte shooting guard at the Hornets' inception and now a color commentator alongside Eric Collins on Hornets TV broadcasts. Not for nothing, Seth's buckets seem to mean a lot to Dell, and here, the current Charlotte Hornet's cozy look from behind the arc after a huge assist from Melo is likely no different. See the video below.

aaaand @sdotcurry drains the 3 🤌@Lowes | 📹 @FDSN_Hornets pic.twitter.com/eSHqVaxTFe

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) November 11, 2024

The Hornets play the Orlando Magic on Tuesday (Nov. 12) at 7 p.m. ET.

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